Now I’d like to rewatch the original — apparently it’s weak, but it could be good peanut-gallery fun — but this one’s quite good.   Good action sequences (muddily shot at times, but it doesn’t detract from them); Craig is very attractive, not quite the rake we’ve gotten used to but that’s okay; good pacing, without a lot of time wasted on pro-forma Bondiana like the gadget review; the Bond girls are good; fab villain in Mads Mikkelsen.   It is a bit too long, though; you won’t notice the time until the Bond-in-love sequence, at which point you may have to pee, and you pretty much know what’s coming, so hit the head and come back in for the last action bit.   Overall, strongest franchise outing since Tomorrow Never Dies.   (11/20/06)

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